Battle 583
Summary A year has passed since the battle against Yami. Niijima is on a phone call with Kisara inviting her to a meeting of the Shinpaku Alliance, adding that they have not gathered together for some time. Kisara accepts the invitation and adds that Ukita (who is with her) is also coming, as both of them have time off from their university classes. The scene changes to James Shiba's house where Takeda is seen talking on the phone, accepting the same invitation. Although he is appearing on a title match the day after the meeting he says he is able to attend, and then he passes the phone over to Freya who is training there as well. Shiba seems to still be nursing injuries from the battle against Yami and takes Freya's staff as he goes out to play pachinko. Freya suggests that Shiba uses crutches instead and to take it easy as he is still injured but Shiba dismisses the concerns of "his disciple's girlfriend", which prompts embarrassed looks from both Takeda and Freya. The two disciples try to explain the situation but Shiba does not listen and heads out, taking a liking to Freya's staff as it permeates the smell of battle. Music is seen coming out of the Nippon Budōkan and Kamioka is on the phone with Niijima and says that Siegfriend is currently performing and cannot talk. Siegfried notices and tells Kamioka in song to hand over the phone, and he is seen performing with Thor and Tsuji. Siegfried continues their song while using his conversation with Niijima as lyrics (which confuses Tsuji) and he asks for the reason for their gathering. Niijima answers that Kenichi has won a novelist award and they are gathering to celebrate. Over at the Shinpaku Alliance headquarters, Matsui and Kurokawa are on computers and Matsui reports that they have improved again this month, brining them closer to their goal of shares of the organization to the public. Kurokawa adds that Siegfried's music division and Shiratori's fashion division are going strong. Shiratori is seen working with the Valkyries in testing new perfumes and she checks with Niijima about having Li Raichi handle their business over at China. Niijima is somewhat surprised that they managed to succeed to such an extent, as he notices a box with a party hat inside. He takes out the hat and remembers that Chikage wore it on the time they distracted her away from battle and invited her to a birthday party. Niijima feels nostalgic and wonders what Yomi has been doing and Loki responds that they have been tracking their movements for the past year. Number 20 reports that Chikage's mental state has stabilized after the battle and has reflected on her master's teachings as well as her experiences from Kōryō High School. Her master is still missing and Chikage is still living at the same location (with the goldfish Kinsuke that she won at the festival), somewhat happy because she started getting taller recently. Niijima is impressed with the level of detail in Number 20's investigation, who adds that the other Yomi are doing various things but are training with their masters to become the next masters of Yami. Niijima looks back at all the people that Kenichi has affected, then wonders what Kenichi has been doing the past year. Number 20 reports that Kenichi has been travelling the world with Miu and the Elder to fight against evil and are currently battling in Amsterdam. A sabre-wielding martial artist plans to take control of Yami, now that the One Shadow Nine Fists are not active, and robs a bank in order to acquire funds. He orders his subodinates to kill the bank employees as they prepare to leave but Kenichi appears and knocks out one of the fighters with Shiraha Nagashi. He tells the civilians to leave as he fights another opponent. His enemy asks who he is as Kenichi dodges his attacks and Kenichi manages to grab and throw his opponent, announcing that he is from Ryōzanpaku. Kenichi fights a third opponent and Miu has just knocked out another fighter, but the leader of the group appears behind Miu and aims a strike at her. Kenichi catches the leader's wrist to stop the attack and declares that he will be his opponent. The enemy leader is amazed at the strength of Kenichi's ki and believes him to be master-class despite being young, but the Elder responds that Kenichi is not master class yet before knocking out the opponent. The Elder does compliment Kenichi on the progress he has made on kneading his ki, although Kenichi is still disappointed that he cannot use ki properly despite having good control of it. The three of them are welcomed back at Ryōzanpaku by the other masters and Renka, and the Elder gives Apachai some snacks from Amsterdam he bought as a souvenir (it turns out that the Elder forgot about souvenirs and just bought them at Tokyo). Miu reads through Kenichi's novel that won the award, which turns out to be a story about his adventures in Ryōzanpaku. Sakaki adds that the work should then be considered non-fiction but Apachai said that people think that Kenichi's stories are too far-fetched to be true. The Elder reminisces on Kenichi's arrival to Ryōzanpaku and his dream to win the Naoki Prize, as his masters recall how weak Kenichi was at beginning and how strong he has become since then. Akisame goes through Kenichi's training equipment and feels nostalgic but Kenichi stops to correct him, saying that they are still forcing Kenichi into Akisame's training machines as he is seen strapped into a large running wheel whle being shocked. Akisame answers matter-of-factly that training never ends and that he was feeling nostalgic towards the machines they used to train with, back when things were completely analog. Renka asks Kenichi and Miu about the Shinpaku Alliance's get-together but the two answer that they have not checked up on it since Kenichi was out of the country and Miu does not own a cellphone. Renka clings to Kenichi's arm to show him the phone mail about the event, prompting Miu and Shigure to gather towards Kenichi to read about it. Renka asks if Kenichi and Miu are going and although Kenichi is somewhat suspicious at first he happily answers he will be attending to see everyone. The scene jumps further in the future and a muscular arm belonging to Kenichi is seen writing about the events of that day (there was a celebration for Kenichi winning his award) and various pictures are seen on Kenichi's desk on what has happened, most notably a wedding photo and a brown-haired child resembling Miu between two people resembling Kenichi and Miu are seen. Kenichi finishes writing by saying that since then he has had further adventures as he fell into the path of becoming a master, but he will save those stories for another time. Characters *Haruo Niijima *Kōzō Ukita *Kisara Nanjō *Ikki Takeda *Kaname Kugatachi *James Shiba *Kamioka *Hibiki Kugenin *Yūma Chiaki *Shinnosuke Tsuji *Ami Fujimiya *Chisato Ayazaki *Apachai Hopachai *Akisame Kōetsuji *Kensei Ma *Miu Fūrinji *Hayato Fūrinji *Shigure Kōsaka *Kenichi Shirahama *Shio Sakaki *Renka Ma *Matsui *Kurokawa *Yumeko Tatsumoto *Reo Usami *Shizuru Toyonaga *Kaoru Shiratori *Raichi Li *Yuriko Aiba *Yōko Igarashi *Chikage Kushinada' *Kyōichi Takame *Tōko Amada *Rachel Stanley *Diego Carlo *Boris Ivanov *Alexander Gaidar *Sōgetsu Ma *Honoka Shirahama *Natsu Tanimoto *Ethan Stanley *Cyril Rahman *Tirawit Kokin *Agaard Jum Sai *Isshinsai Ogata *Shōgo Kitsukawa *Asuka Akatsuki *Raden Tidat Lona *Raden Tidat Jihan *Sham *Akira Hongō *Rimi Kokorone *Ryūto Asamiya *Tōchūmaru *Saiga Fūrinji *Kōan Shokatsu *Genson Ryū Events since the battle against Yami *Kisara and Ukita have graduated from Kōryō High School and are attending university. *Takeda and Freya are training together under James Shiba, who is still recovering from his injuries. *Siegfried, Thor, and Tsuji form a band together and are performing at the Nippon Budokan. *Kenichi has won the Naoki Prize for a novel he wrote based on his adventures at Ryōzanpaku. *The Shinpaku Alliance continues to grow financially thanks to Siegfried's music and Shiratori who started a fashion line. Raichi Li will be involved in managing the alliance's ventures over at China. *Chikage is living alone with her pet fish Kinsuke and has started getting taller. *Boris Ivanov is awarded a medal by the Russian government for his actions in the battle against Yami as Alexander Gaidar expresses his pride. *Rachel Stanley is fighting in a large stadium with Diego Carlo. *Ma Sougetsu is staying over at Natsu Tanimoto's house. Honoka seems to have the defeated Sōgetsu at othello and asks for a shoulder massage. *Ethan Stanley is training with Cyril Rahman. *Tirawit Kokin is training with Agaard Jum Sai. *Isshinsai Ogata commends Berserker and Lugh on disobeying his orders without hesitation. *Jihan goes to Japan and visits the ramen store that rescued him. He is accompanied by Sham and Lona, who is excited to look for Hongō. *Akira Hongō is next to a car as he stares out in the distance. *Rimi is tightly clinging on to an exasperated Ryūto as the two take a stroll. Photos in Kenichi's desk *A wedding picture of a bride and groom are seen though the faces are obscured by sunlight. Tōchūmaru is seen in the picture as well. *A picture of Saiga with his father Hayato. *A group photo of Ryōzanpaku. *A photo of Niijima wearing a suit in the center of other similarly dressed people. *A photo of Renka, Kōan Shokatsu, and Genson Ryō with a tall building in the background. The sign reads "Gekirin Trading Company". *A picture of a brown-haired child who resembles Miu. She seems to be holding hands with her parents, whose attire hints them being Kenichi and Miu. The little girls is wearing her grandmother Shizuha's hairclips and she sports a bandaid on her cheek just like Kenichi. Trivia *The Nippon Budokan is an indoor arena in Tokyo which holds martial arts competitions as well as concerts. The name literally translates to "Japan Martial Arts Hall". *The snack that Elder gives to Apachai is based on the Hiyoko, a chick-shaped pastry usually containing jam. http://www.hiyoko.co.jp/en/ *Kenichi's dream has been to win the Naoki Prize, a Japanese literary award that recognizes "the best work of popular fiction in any format by a new, rising, or (reasonably young) established author". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoki_Prize *The name of another nomimee for the Naoki Award is listed on the website Niijima is browsing: Tokiwa Kusaka. Which already hints at Matsuena's new work "Tokiwa Kitareri!!" with its main protagonist Tokiwa Yasaka, who is a writer as well. Navigation Category:Chapters